Cutter bar for reapers and mowers



(No Model.)

. M. JARVIS. CUTTER BAR FOR RBAPERS AND MOWERS. N0.574,736. PatentedJan. 5, 1897.

IN E/VTOR ATTORNEYS. Q

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOSES JARVIS, OF LEOTA, MISSISSIPPI.

CUTTER-BAR FOR REAPERS AND MOWERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,736, dated January5, 1897.

Application filed August 31, 1896. Serial No. 604,458. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MOSES JARVIS, of Leota, in the county of Washingtonand State of Mississippi, have invented a new and Improved Cutter-Barfor Reapers and Mowers, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The object of the invention is to so construct the cutter-bar and attachthe knives thereto that the knives can be taken out and placed in thecutter-bar without removing said cutter-bar from the machine andwhereby, furthermore, the knives may be secured to the cutter-bar orremoved therefrom in an expeditious and convenient manner, each knifebeing provided with independent locking devices.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a cutter-bar and knivesattached thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through aportion of the cutter -bar and through the eyebar, and Fig. 3 is adetail perspective View of one of the knives.

In carrying out the invention the cutterbar A is provided at one of itsends, as is usual, with an upwardly extending flange having a returnportion 10 at the top, and at intervals on the upper face of thecutter-bar knife-seats O are produced, each seat being a recess in thebar, made to form a dovetail outline 11, the recesses being separated bylugs 12, the ends of the lugs forming the end walls of the recesses.Alongitudinal slot 13is made centrally in each lug 12, extending throughfrom end to end, except in the lug 20 at the return end of thecutter-bar, and in the slot 13 of each lug 12 two buttons 14 arepivoted, the said buttons extending beyond the dovetailed walls of theknife-seats O, and each pair of buttons are separated sufficiently, asshown in Fig. 2, to admit of either button of a set being carried to avertical position. Each button is provided with an independent pivot 15,located near its back, and each slot 13 is carried downward into thebody of the bar or below the plane of the bottom of the knife seats, asshown in Fig. 2, the bottom 16 of each slot 13 being converted, and eachconvexed bottom supports a spring 17, the ends whereof have bearingagainst the under face at the inner end portions of the buttons. Thebuttons are used as latches to lock the knivesD upon the bar.

The cutter-bar is covered for a portion of its length by the usualeyebar B, and this eyebar is introduced under the return portion of theflange 10 of the cutter-bar and is provided with a series of dovetailedrecesses b in its under face, adapted to receive the upper surfaces ofthe buttons or latches 14, over which the said eyebar is placed, andsuch of the latches or buttons that lie beneath the eyebar are madethicker at that portion which lies within the slots 13 than theprojecting portions, as is also shown in Fig. 2. The outer ends of theprojections thus formed on the buttons are undercut to engage with theend walls of the recesses in the eyebar, the latter being given adovetail outline. The button which is located at the innermost end ofthe eyebar is made sufficiently thick to enter and slide in the saidinner end of the eyebar, as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore the buttons andthe return-flange 10 of the eyebar serve to hold the eyebar in position.

The knives D are of the usual form, and each knife is provided with ashank 12 of sufficient length and width to enter a seat 0, the ends ofeach knife-shank being inclined to meet the inclination at the ends ofthe seats. The shanks 18 of the knives are much thicker than theknives,'being flush, however, with the under faces of the knives,extending only beyond the top portions.

In the end of each shank 18 a slot 19 is made, of such shape anddimensions as to receive the ends of the buttons which extend in theknife-seat to which the shank belongs. The buttons are first placed inan upright position. Then the shanks of the knives are entered into theseats 0, and the buttons are then forced downward in a horizontalposition, entering the slots in the ends of the shanks, the springs 17serving to hold the buttons in either an upper or in a lower position.In order to prevent the eyebar from slipping to the front or to the rearof the cutter-bar, one of the buttons enters the inner end of theeyebar, as above set forth, and at the opposite end of the eyebar a slot21 is made in the lug 20, and in this slot a bolt 22 is located having abeveled head, the shank of which bolt extends outward through theopeningiu the flange of the cutter-bar, and a spring 23 is coiled aroundthe shank, bearing against the bolt and against the flange 10, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Vhen the eyebar is to he removed, the bolt 21 is drawnoutward and the button which engages with the eyebar is raised.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. A cuttenbar provided with knife-seats havingtheir end walls undercut, buttons pivoted on the cutter-bar andextending beyond the undercut walls of the knife-seats, and kniveshavingshanks shaped to enter the said seats, the shanks being provided withrecesses to receive the ends of the buttons extending within the seats,as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the cutter-bar of mowers and reapers, the saidcutter-bar being provided with knife-seats in its upper face cut to forma dovetail outline and separated by lugs, of buttons pivoted in the saidlugs, extending through and beyond the undercut walls of theknife-seats, and knives provided with shanks which extend beyond theplane of their upper faces, the ends of the knifeshanks being beveledand provided with recesses in which the projecting ends of the buttonsfit, as and for the purpose specified.

The combination, with the cutter-bar of a mower or a reaper, providedwith knife-seats in its upper face, cut to form dovetail outlines, thesurfaces supporting the said seats being provided with slots whichextend below the bottom of the seats, the said slots connecting .withsaid seats, of springs fulcrumed upon the bottom portion of the saidslots, latches pivoted in the slots and having their ends bearing onopposite ends of the springs, the said latches extending out beyond theundercut walls of the knife-seats and having their outer endscorrespondingly inclined, and knives provided with shanks, fitted to theknife-seats and having recesses in their ends to receive the projectingportions of the latches, as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. The combination, with a cutter-bar provided with knife-seats cut toform a dovetail outline, and knives provided with shanks fitted to thesaid seats and having recesses in their ends, of an eyebar, and pivotedlatches located between the knife-seats and extending therein and intothe slots of the shanks of the knives, sundry of the said latches havingundercut extensions which enter dovetail recesses in the aforesaideyebar, substantially as. described.

5. The c0mbinati0n,with a cutter-bar provided with knife-seats cut toform a dovetail outline, and knives provided with shanks, fitted to thesaid seats and having recesses in their ends, of an eyebar, and pivotedbuttons located between the knife-seats and extending therein and intothe slots of the shanks of the knives, sundry of the said buttons havingundercut extensions which enter dovetail recesses in the aforesaideyebar, and springs having a fulcrum between opposing buttons, bearingupon the under faces thereof below their pivots, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

MOSES JARVIS. Vitnesses II. B. SHEYC, L. ELKAS.

